Like many fly fishers, I started chasing trout with a 5-weight. This versatile size worked well enough for most circumstances. As I fished more, and found myself spending a lot of my time on smaller streams, I learned how shorter and lighter rods could be more efficient and effective. And, most importantly, more fun.
Back then, switching from a 5-weight to a 3-weight felt like a big transition. I couldn’t imagine what the 2- and 1-weights I saw in catalogs felt like. And I also saw that Sage made a 0-weight. Zero. As in none. For a young fly fisher, the lack of a real numerical designation added to the mystique and intrigue. I never fished that rod, or any of the “ought-weights” that other manufacturers have built in the years since,
But nearly twenty years later, I’ve been fishing the newest Sage 0-weight, the DART, for a few months.
The rod is light. At less than two ounces it will hardly move the scale. You’ll feel fish. You’ll feel small fish. But if you’re looking for a rod that feels lighter than air, the DART might not be your best choice. There are rods, generally custom models, designed to be as insubstantial as possible. The DART is a real fly rod. It isn’t a wispy, gimmicky piece of gear fashioned only to feel light. Technology has come to a place where even in the bottom line weights you’ll get a balanced, fishable, real fly rod.
How a rod feels in hand and fighting fish matters. More important is how it functions during the rest of the fishing experience. If you want to make delicate presentations to spooky, selective fish, the DART fits the bill. It is quick and responsive, while retaining a remarkably sensitive tip. You’ll feel nymphs ticking along the bottom and dry flies dragging in the current. More often than not, sensitivity and touch are what you want on spring creeks or over fussy fish.
Still, the most impressive thing about the DART is how you can fish it.
We’re all familiar with the subtle, gentle casting motion often employed for finesse presentation. A wrist snap, or even a hand flick is all that is needed to get the fly out ten to twenty feet. It usually works without a hitch. But there are times when that pared-down, fractured casting stroke inhibits accuracy or limits the types of casts you can make.
You can cast the DART with an actual overhand cast. It doesn’t generate laser-like line speed that would be unnecessary on a small stream. But there is amazing line control that isn’t often found in the lightest line weights. Sage has built a fast rod that allows for casts to track on tight planes while laying down the softest of presentations. You don’t have to throttle down your casting stroke while fishing the DART. This means that more types of casts, and more line control techniques, are at your disposal. This opens up opportunities for fish in small streams that would otherwise be inaccessible or cumbersome.
In the 0-weight, the DART is a specialized rod for anyone fishing for trout that require finesse or anyone who wants premium gear for smaller waters. The price ($700) separates it from the crowd, but so does it’s casting and angling performance. If you really want to go all in on a mountain trout rod, the 6’6″ 3-weight would probably be a better model. Similarly, if you want to add a lot of versatility, such as traditional nymph rigs or light streamers, jumping up to the 4-weight might make more sense.
Where the “0” absolutely justifies itself is if you are consistently fishing dry flies on spring creeks. In those scenarios, pursuing discerning fish, the rod shines. Pinpoint accuracy, long casts, and protecting gossamer tippets make all the difference. Sometimes, those are the difference between fish and no fish. If this is the kind of fly fishing you enjoy, the DART will make your casting more efficient and effective. Which, most importantly, leads to more fun.
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Head over to Sage’s website to check out more specs on the 0-weight DART, as well as all the other models.
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